There are many Mudras but websites mentioned after this article can show you the common ones for health.
Mudras for Health
Mudras are hand positions mainly that have both physical and psychological effects and which are known from ancient times in cultures worldwide including Egypt, Rome, Greece and Persia as well as many others, but which nowadays are more usually associated with India.
Particularly by combining the thumb and the fingers in various positions the elements are thought to be affected in the body, this seems to make sense to me. The thumb (fire element) and each finger is said to correspond with an element in each case, and combining fingers with the thumb gives various effects in the body. There are many ways to treat the body and mudras are an alternative in some ways or an adjunct (extra assistance) anyway to acupuncture or herbs for example.
Here is another example of an explanation of how Mudras work
Mudras The physical body is made up of five elements namely - Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Aakash (ether - the tiny intercellular spaces in the human body). Imbalance of these elements disrupts the immunity system and causes disease.
Deficiencies in any of these elements can be made up by connecting one part of the body with another in a particular manner through Mudras.
When a finger representing an element is brought into contact with the thumb, that element is brought into balance. Therefore the disease caused by the imbalance is cured. Mudras start electromagnetic currents within the body which balance various constituting elements and restore health. The joining of fingers creates an effect on the human body.
Five Fingers for Five Elements
* Thumb Fire
* Index Air
* Middle Aakash (ether)
* Ring Earth
* Little Water
There are scores or some say hundreds of known mudras but mostly far fewer are regularly used. They are a very convenient and effective way of fighting disease and changing attitudes, for example there is an asthma mudra, a heart mudra, a brain mudra and so on.
There are also ways of looking at Mudras that concentrate more on attitudes such as confidence, fearlessness, giving and the like. Obviously one can also diagnose on psychological principles to some extent.
The Apaan Vayu mudra (heart or lifesaver mudra) for instance is famous for helping in heart attacks, as well as heart problems generally, as a sort of first- aid immediately available and simple to learn requiring only your two hands.
Apaan Vayu Mudra (heart mudra) (Hridaya Mudra)
This mudra diverts the flow of energy from the hands to the heart area. The middle and ring fingers relate directly to nadis (channels) connected to the heart, while the thumb closes the pranic circuit and acts as an energiser, diverting the flow of prana from the hands to these nadis. Apaan Vayu mudra helps to release pent up emotion and unburden the heart.
Resources for Mudras.
There are some books on Mudras available over the internet but I notice public libraries and bookshops never seem to have any books on the subject at all. Which is a pity because Mudras are a powerful self- help technique greatly needed in societies where healthcare has been totally handed over and monopolised for economic reasons by “professionals”.
There are a few books on Mudras on the book depository website. Gertrud Hirschi and Sabrina Mesko are well known authors but there are several others. Always double check health matters. As for a Mudra look it up on several websites or books so that you get a bigger picture on it, noting any precautions or extra instructions. On some sites the names of some Mudras are a bit different so you have to double check that too on the internet if in doubt. This confusion of names comes from different traditions of Yoga and different languages in India.
Like everything in India the subject of Yoga and Mudras has got too wrapped up in mysticism/religion, whereas I see mudras as a practical thing, although the spiritual claims made for them might not be untrue either. Anyway as a useful self-help health modality they are one of the better ones in my opinion, requiring no equipment, easy to do almost anywhere and not too complex to learn. You have to follow the guidelines though on length of time to do them and any contraindications.
Which Mudras to use?
Which mudras to use for a particular situation requires keeping an eye out for the effects they have on you, and some mudras have contraindications too, generally by reading widely in books and on the internet you start to get a better idea of what to do. In any case if it feels good do it and if it doesn’t then stop. But stick to the instructions.
Mudras are generally held for between 5 to 15 minutes for three times a day, but this can be varied according to circumstances. Most mudras are simple to do but a few are a bit harder to form and hold, usually there are simpler alternatives if any prove too difficult.
Also like everything do not overdo it, especially in the beginning proceed with caution. It is the same with herbs and other modalities, err on the side of caution, and don’t take anything or do anything without checking it out as thoroughly as you can beforehand. If in doubt, don’t! These common sense precautions apply to all health modalities.
There are one or two lists of mudras for different diseases on the internet, the URL one of them is included with this lesson, they make a fair starting point for getting help for any problem, and for experimenting with them to see their effects.
In some cases it is worth accessing the same mudra on different websites, as the diagrams are sometimes a bit confusing but become clear after looking at more than one set of pictures of how to make the mudra.
There is an old Chinese saying, “killed by Ginseng”, it means used for the wrong situation or too much then anything can be bad, including a herb such as Ginseng which has saved many lives.
As Paracelsus said, whether something is a medicine or a poison depends on the dosage!
Indian medicine has it’s own theories so the names of a mudra often vary because someone has added on the element it is connected with to the common name, such as air, fire or water. Different traditions in India often have their own way of calling the same techniques so keep that in mind if trawling the internet for information.
Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it is ineffective.
A simple thing can often work wonders, and having a simple method to adjust functioning in the body could be as important as any other treatment.
Mudras are supposed to be also part of Chinese medicine but I notice they are hardly ever mentioned by Chinese practitioners in clinics, just as the simpler techniques like reflexology (hand and foot massage) tended to be sidelined by the establishment as time went on. Or maybe I am too cynical.
Another distressing fashion is the growing practise of charging separate fees for herbs and acupuncture for example, or cupping and scrape therapy for example, whereas they are all supposed to be part of the same treatment. “Money makes the world go round” as the saying goes.
Anyway getting back to Mudras there is a scarcity of information in books on exactly why and how they work, and this lack of profound understanding is distressingly common in medicine generally and also in Alternative medicine. Maybe you can fill in the gaps? Still even if we don’t fully understand these things we can still make some use of them.
Obviously mudras are connected in some way with the same sorts of theories associated with acupuncture, reflexology, colour therapy, chakras and similar approaches.
Mudras are something simple that can help you in almost any health situation, immediately available and often startlingly effective. It does not mean that you do not also take advantage of other help, such as seeing a doctor, pharmacist or local herbalist, but Mudras can also often be part of the solution.
Books on the book depository website for example are worth looking at, there are only a few popular mudras titles it seems but enough to give some good background information.
Books by Gertrud Hirschi and Sabrina Mesko are popular and there are several others readily available on the book sites I have listed.
The Booko site at www.booko.com.au also gives a rundown on which outlets stock which books and current prices worldwide. In most cases the book depository sites in USA and UK come up cheapest anyway.
One or two companies specialise in laminated charts on alternative health topics and such charts can be useful as a quick guide.
Below are three sites picked at random that can show you pictures of various mudras
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/8-yoga-mudras-to-overcome-any-ailments/
http://brianprickril.hubpages.com/hub/A-Basic-Guide-to-Hand-Mudras
http://www.yogacheryl.com/mudra-index.html
Mudras are hand positions mainly that have both physical and psychological effects and which are known from ancient times in cultures worldwide including Egypt, Rome, Greece and Persia as well as many others, but which nowadays are more usually associated with India.
Particularly by combining the thumb and the fingers in various positions the elements are thought to be affected in the body, this seems to make sense to me. The thumb (fire element) and each finger is said to correspond with an element in each case, and combining fingers with the thumb gives various effects in the body. There are many ways to treat the body and mudras are an alternative in some ways or an adjunct (extra assistance) anyway to acupuncture or herbs for example.
Here is another example of an explanation of how Mudras work
Mudras The physical body is made up of five elements namely - Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Aakash (ether - the tiny intercellular spaces in the human body). Imbalance of these elements disrupts the immunity system and causes disease.
Deficiencies in any of these elements can be made up by connecting one part of the body with another in a particular manner through Mudras.
When a finger representing an element is brought into contact with the thumb, that element is brought into balance. Therefore the disease caused by the imbalance is cured. Mudras start electromagnetic currents within the body which balance various constituting elements and restore health. The joining of fingers creates an effect on the human body.
Five Fingers for Five Elements
* Thumb Fire
* Index Air
* Middle Aakash (ether)
* Ring Earth
* Little Water
There are scores or some say hundreds of known mudras but mostly far fewer are regularly used. They are a very convenient and effective way of fighting disease and changing attitudes, for example there is an asthma mudra, a heart mudra, a brain mudra and so on.
There are also ways of looking at Mudras that concentrate more on attitudes such as confidence, fearlessness, giving and the like. Obviously one can also diagnose on psychological principles to some extent.
The Apaan Vayu mudra (heart or lifesaver mudra) for instance is famous for helping in heart attacks, as well as heart problems generally, as a sort of first- aid immediately available and simple to learn requiring only your two hands.
Apaan Vayu Mudra (heart mudra) (Hridaya Mudra)
This mudra diverts the flow of energy from the hands to the heart area. The middle and ring fingers relate directly to nadis (channels) connected to the heart, while the thumb closes the pranic circuit and acts as an energiser, diverting the flow of prana from the hands to these nadis. Apaan Vayu mudra helps to release pent up emotion and unburden the heart.
Resources for Mudras.
There are some books on Mudras available over the internet but I notice public libraries and bookshops never seem to have any books on the subject at all. Which is a pity because Mudras are a powerful self- help technique greatly needed in societies where healthcare has been totally handed over and monopolised for economic reasons by “professionals”.
There are a few books on Mudras on the book depository website. Gertrud Hirschi and Sabrina Mesko are well known authors but there are several others. Always double check health matters. As for a Mudra look it up on several websites or books so that you get a bigger picture on it, noting any precautions or extra instructions. On some sites the names of some Mudras are a bit different so you have to double check that too on the internet if in doubt. This confusion of names comes from different traditions of Yoga and different languages in India.
Like everything in India the subject of Yoga and Mudras has got too wrapped up in mysticism/religion, whereas I see mudras as a practical thing, although the spiritual claims made for them might not be untrue either. Anyway as a useful self-help health modality they are one of the better ones in my opinion, requiring no equipment, easy to do almost anywhere and not too complex to learn. You have to follow the guidelines though on length of time to do them and any contraindications.
Which Mudras to use?
Which mudras to use for a particular situation requires keeping an eye out for the effects they have on you, and some mudras have contraindications too, generally by reading widely in books and on the internet you start to get a better idea of what to do. In any case if it feels good do it and if it doesn’t then stop. But stick to the instructions.
Mudras are generally held for between 5 to 15 minutes for three times a day, but this can be varied according to circumstances. Most mudras are simple to do but a few are a bit harder to form and hold, usually there are simpler alternatives if any prove too difficult.
Also like everything do not overdo it, especially in the beginning proceed with caution. It is the same with herbs and other modalities, err on the side of caution, and don’t take anything or do anything without checking it out as thoroughly as you can beforehand. If in doubt, don’t! These common sense precautions apply to all health modalities.
There are one or two lists of mudras for different diseases on the internet, the URL one of them is included with this lesson, they make a fair starting point for getting help for any problem, and for experimenting with them to see their effects.
In some cases it is worth accessing the same mudra on different websites, as the diagrams are sometimes a bit confusing but become clear after looking at more than one set of pictures of how to make the mudra.
There is an old Chinese saying, “killed by Ginseng”, it means used for the wrong situation or too much then anything can be bad, including a herb such as Ginseng which has saved many lives.
As Paracelsus said, whether something is a medicine or a poison depends on the dosage!
Indian medicine has it’s own theories so the names of a mudra often vary because someone has added on the element it is connected with to the common name, such as air, fire or water. Different traditions in India often have their own way of calling the same techniques so keep that in mind if trawling the internet for information.
Just because something is simple doesn’t mean it is ineffective.
A simple thing can often work wonders, and having a simple method to adjust functioning in the body could be as important as any other treatment.
Mudras are supposed to be also part of Chinese medicine but I notice they are hardly ever mentioned by Chinese practitioners in clinics, just as the simpler techniques like reflexology (hand and foot massage) tended to be sidelined by the establishment as time went on. Or maybe I am too cynical.
Another distressing fashion is the growing practise of charging separate fees for herbs and acupuncture for example, or cupping and scrape therapy for example, whereas they are all supposed to be part of the same treatment. “Money makes the world go round” as the saying goes.
Anyway getting back to Mudras there is a scarcity of information in books on exactly why and how they work, and this lack of profound understanding is distressingly common in medicine generally and also in Alternative medicine. Maybe you can fill in the gaps? Still even if we don’t fully understand these things we can still make some use of them.
Obviously mudras are connected in some way with the same sorts of theories associated with acupuncture, reflexology, colour therapy, chakras and similar approaches.
Mudras are something simple that can help you in almost any health situation, immediately available and often startlingly effective. It does not mean that you do not also take advantage of other help, such as seeing a doctor, pharmacist or local herbalist, but Mudras can also often be part of the solution.
Books on the book depository website for example are worth looking at, there are only a few popular mudras titles it seems but enough to give some good background information.
Books by Gertrud Hirschi and Sabrina Mesko are popular and there are several others readily available on the book sites I have listed.
The Booko site at www.booko.com.au also gives a rundown on which outlets stock which books and current prices worldwide. In most cases the book depository sites in USA and UK come up cheapest anyway.
One or two companies specialise in laminated charts on alternative health topics and such charts can be useful as a quick guide.
Below are three sites picked at random that can show you pictures of various mudras
http://www.stylecraze.com/articles/8-yoga-mudras-to-overcome-any-ailments/
http://brianprickril.hubpages.com/hub/A-Basic-Guide-to-Hand-Mudras
http://www.yogacheryl.com/mudra-index.html
Mudras are very much a part of everyday life for many Buddhist monks and Hindu ascetics, as well as for some schools of Martial arts.
Their health effects are not well known to most people unfortunately.